The director Alain Corneau passed away on August 30, 2010, at the age of 67 from cancer. A talented filmmaker respected by his peers, Alain Corneau began his cinematic career with crime films before turning towards more ambitious creations in the 1980s alongside the brooding Patrick Deawaere, Marie Trintignant, and Gérard and Guillaume Depardieu. With the latter two, he directed “Tous les matins du monde,” which won the 1992 Oscar for Best Film. Sadly, he did not live to see the release of his final film, “Crime d’amour,” which deals with the theme of psychological harassment. Once again, he directed two talented actresses, Ludivine Sagnier and Kristin Scott Thomas.
Crime d’amour, his last tribute
In this film, they portray the roles of two women who clash within a powerful multinational corporation. Young Isabelle (Ludivine Sagnier) works under the supervision of Christine (Kristin Scott Thomas), a woman of power whom she admires unconditionally. Convinced of her dominance over her protégé, Christine leads Isabelle into murky and perverse waters. But one day, this dangerous game goes too far… After a horrible scene of public humiliation, Isabelle seeks revenge against her superior, Christine. However, she knows that if she acts, she will immediately be identified as the prime suspect. Isabelle then devises a diabolical plan, the perfect crime! It’s a novel, paradoxical, and long incomprehensible staging.
Isabelle creates incriminating evidence against herself… (spoiler)… until the finale, which completely changes the direction of the storyline and allows her to exact her revenge with malice and cruelty by incriminating the one who, out of weakness and calculation, had preferred her rival!
A noir and stylized film
Filmmaker Alain Corneau presents us with a noir and stylized film whose Machiavellian plot is constructed like clockwork with twists that maintain suspense until the end.
Clearly, ‘Crime d’amour’ is an exercise in style. That is its charm and, in a sense, its limit.
As in ‘Police Python 357’ and his masterpiece, Corneau details the traps the heroes set for themselves to fall into.
The cold lighting and icy settings encourage a mild paranoia.
The jazz music, used masterfully by the director, further accentuates the strangeness.
The main appeal of the film lies in the duo of actresses.
Faced against one another, Ludivine Sagnier and Kristin Scott Thomas each craft a magnificent character of a career woman.
Their ambiguous relationship, made up of manipulation and domination, maintains the viewers’ attention well beyond the plot. A must-see.
